Pendant Lights

We've been going back and forth on lighting options, but narrowed it down to these two. I just gave Josh the go-ahead to buy them, I'm just not telling you which one yet:). I'm sure we could return them if I was so persuaded.

Here is #1. I like it because we want to put in a few retro elements and this fits the bill. I love the statement it makes and you can choose all sorts of colors to do it it in. Downside is that it's pretty style specific and a little clunkier than I imagined as you can see in the picture of it in a room below. It also looks redder than orange even though it is orange.

Here is option #2. I like that it's sleek and funky and less style specific, although that's a downside in a way too, a little more boring. You can get the suspension kit in black, brushed nickel and white and the cylinder shape at the top, as shown, costs $8 more than the cone shape it comes with, which kind of stinks since I like that better.

Okay, I give up, we bought this one. Well, four of them, but this one. We initially both thought brushed nickel, but decided with all of our white trim and look we're going for, I think white will fit better. Feels like I'm taking a risk in a way to do that since most people would probably opt for the nickel. Just counting on what's in my head working out in reality how I envision it.

Q: What one do you like better? What would you put in your house?

Wedding=Reason to Buy Outfit

Josh's cool, awesome, wonderful brother is getting married to a cool, awesome, wonderful girl in Salt Lake City on Dec. 6, 2009. We are always thrilled when one of our siblings finds their perfect match, so hooray for them!

Changing gears. Since there is a wedding, I decided this is the perfect time to buy an outfit for it. I pretty much hate to shop, it's been this way before kids. Money is usually the biggest factor, but I'm also overwhelmed with all the options. Now time and kids (and husband) are big factors too.

Since I rarely go shopping anymore, and especially to actually buy a complete outfit, I decided this would be a good excuse to do it and it would be fun. At least the end result. I didn't even know where to shop I'm so out of the loop and some friends told me to start at the mall and then gave a few more suggestions. Mall? Oh, good to know.

Here are the colors more or less. It's supposed to be light purple (mostly light I think) and royal blue.

I wanted to find some really fabulous outfit, not so I looked great in any pictures or anything, but just because it would be like a fun little project to craft a great outfit with a specific color scheme. I've now been to a number of stores and picked out a few things that I just went and tried on coming up with 4-5 options. I'll take pics tomorrow and poll for the best one and will sadly go return the rest. :(

Good news is that it's actually been really fun and I'm excited to have a few new items.

Q: Do you like shopping?
Q: What's your favorite place to shop?

Blog Link Limit?

I've been trying to finally upload all my blog links but it stopped letting me--do you know if there is a limit? That would be absurd.

Skirt Deals

For the next couple of months on Sundays, you may see a theme, and that would be my skirt deals. I have been in need of some nice solid skirts for much too long. My size has changed a little but my clothes haven't so I've found myself with the "nothing to wear" feeling on Sunday mornings even with a closet full of clothes. I have a hard time throwing out some of the ill fitting ones but they weren't serving much purpose once I'd put them on besides purely covering up.

I headed to Marshalls this summer a bought a few skirts but they were nice and summery but it really does get nippy in CA so off I went to Goodwill and Salvation Army. I had my poor kids with me and since I've vowed to not drag them into very many stores any more in my efforts to be a more fun mom, luck was on my side and I scored.

First though is Hazel wearing her deal dress of the day. We have some generous people in the ward and one of them gave me a bunch of little girls dresses, which is great since I noticed Hazel was having the same problem I was having, but she really rotated between 2-3 ill fitting dresses and only semi-appropriate to church (one just wouldn't stay on, shoulders, chest, yeah, really nice).
I promised I asked no posing. I just said, "Hazel, can I take your picture?" So out the door she went and started posing, it was hilarious! You can tell she loves her dress.

Felicity doesn't like to pose so much, so much for the cute family picture I attempted. Here is my blue deal skirt. I think it's like 100% polyester and feels and looks straight out of "9 to 5" with Dolly Parton, but I love it. I looove it. I think I love it because it's old.

And while I'm on deals, the top was super cheap, some clearance rack years ago and my shoes were under $10, clearance at Macy's.

Felicity's deal dress is actually one that I wore when I was little. The cute little belt that went with it only made the mini skirt more mini. Why bother putting on a pair of tights on City? Because she looks so cute with torn up knees.

This is today's deal skirt. Jazz hands you say? No, count em. That would be FIVE, yes, $5 (as was the blue one above). It's a nice sturdy thick one too, oh, and soft. My top was from Century 21 in NYC--also a great deal. And can't leave out my shoes, also on the Macy's clearance rack for about $10. Oh, and the belt, from high school. It was one of the things I loved but went out of style too fast and couldn't let it go, I'm so glad I could bring it out again! See, tossing everything you don't wear in a year isn't always a good idea.

Q: Do you love bargains as much as I do?

The Difference a Day (or two) Makes

For the past month, the kitchen has looked like this. As you know, we put floors in a few weeks ago and life was tremendously better. Sorry it's not a great pic of the kitchen, but check out what a difference the past two days have made! Ta da! It's like a home show, they show you the bad, the redo, the finale all in 30 min without the suffering. We're far from done--as in all the finishing work, but we are so close to really functioning.

Two days ago the countertops arrived which meant they could install our appliances, finish up electrical and put casing around our posts. Did you know so much rode on a countertop?

And speaking of, I tried to get a picture of our new princess sparkly counters (the girls love them), but trust me that they sparkle. You almost don't notice the concrete floors below. Almost. Josh and are I going on a date to the tile store (me for the umpteenth time) to hopefully make a final decision. Ah, aren't they stunning? I never thought white or sparkly for my counters, but I think they'll look awesome with it all together.

The oven even works! I've promised Hazel that we'll make cookies today. Might as well debut with a crowd pleaser. I'll be using Alicia's best choc chip cookie recipe ever, which it truly is and if she doesn't mind, I'll post it.

I started cleaning up our dishes today, you know, like unloading the dishwasher, but had to stop and take a picture to document the last time we'll be doing this! I wish I had a pic of times after we've had people over and had towels all over the ground. BTW, that baby toilet is clean. ish. We're healthy anyway.

I can't tell you how many HOURS it has taken us to decide on all the decisions to make in this little kitchen renovation. This sink, for example, absorbed a many many hours. I was sold on the large one bin sink for a long time, I love it. Then we ran into a little faucet issue with the window behind it and it hitting the faucet, so with an offset sink it lessens that problem.

I think we'll still have to saw the window in half and just use the top part, but it got me thinking about a two bin sink and I think this will be more functional and it's a pretty large sucker, I love it.

Oh, and the faucet itself took hours and hours to find as well (everything took seperate trips to various stores and online). It looks pretty simple, but it did. We wanted a swan neck, pull out sprayer, but with the handle seperate and that's where it was a pain to find. FINALLY DONE!

The only time our microwave will be this clean. One of Josh's clients is Whirlpool so they get an awesome discount on appliances, so we have almost all appliances from there. His job sure has it's downsides, but this is not one of them.

See, it works! I am sort of afraid to break everything in, it all looks so new and shiny. I managed to dump out the oil from my salad dressing into the drain, but that's all I could do to it today. It's perfect. I love the tape that says it's okay to use! See ya bathroom kitchen.

Although I keep heading toward the bathroom to wash the kids and dishes today, habits die hard, but I'll try to break that one. It sounds strange, but I'm such a creature of habit and comfort that I'd almost prefer to not change things in a way because I have a system that works, it takes no thought since I know what I'm doing. Now I have to start moving in sort of (or will once the cabinets come in) and it's a lot of effort, but thankfully it's the kind Josh doesn't mind, so he's encouraging me.

It was this way before we put the floors in too, I was just getting comfortable and finding ways to "live" in our space when we have to move it all around and it's just more effort. Thankfully Josh reminds me how insane this is so hopefully I won't still be using our bathroom to do dishes or using paper plates for every meal (kind of gross with wet foods because when you cut your meat or whatever, it cuts up the paper with it so you get a little extra goodness).

Our stunning new electric oven, hip hip hooray! Also the only time it will be clean.

Our equally stunning cooktop. It's dazzling isn't it? I've always wanted a 5 burner because as ridiculous as it sounds, 4 just isn't enough when I cook since I rarely use an oven (except for desserts of course).

We also got a fridge and dishwasher put in, but pics take too long to download and I'm so excited! They are the kind that are coated or faux stainless so you won't see the drips as much and you can put magnets on the fridge, unlike stainless. That way we'll get to have a nicely cluttered but loved fridge still:).

Q: What's your favorite element?

Q: I know you probably don't really care, but I'm so excited that I have to ask--aren't you thrilled for me? :)

Rugs again...

This is the space I want to put the rug. I'm trying to disguise our couch clash with the floor with a rug. I konw I want to paint that little wall orange so I have a new idea for rugs.
I have decided to put my love rug on hold and try a different approach.

#1. I think this is a pretty good quality one, I like the look, like the little lines (hiding more dirt and crumbs:), but although cheaper than my flower favorite one, it's still twice as much as #2.
#2. We really like the retro look of this since we're trying to pull in some of that for this house. I like that it's supposed to be super soft since I plan to do a lot of laying and playing on it, but it looks a little dark and cheap, but I don't know that that makes it cheap, although from a materials standpoint, it isn't as good. But cheapest by far at half the cost of #1.

#3. Josh and I both like this one, I'm afraid of how light it is with dirty feet that are bound to be on it. We plan to paint a wall on the opposite side of the house a shade of whatever blue we end up with and this sort of goes with what we were looking for (and #1), but yikes light.
#4. This would be my winner hands down if it weren't for the price, so this is purely a wish list item that I would love to find on sale.
Q: Your favorite?

Selling Out with Mean Mickey

Have you heard? It looks like Disney has sold out for a little extra cash. I'm so tired of companies either dirtying up, trashing, prettying, hooching and sexing up their image for a little more profit.

Mickey Mouse has lost it's appeal they say, his wholesome image just doesn't have the same appeal it used to have, so they're going to tap into his origins of a prankster and make him a little meaner. Not a fan, can you tell?

I know Dora was supposed to get all grown up for this Fall, but I haven't seen it or looked for it yet. Hazel's been with me looking at these and kept asking who the girl was by the real Dora, I almost told her it was supposed to be someone else.

I don't want her thinking about how pretty and girly Dora will look when she's older. What if she's not pretty? What if she's just strong and and adventurous, what's wrong with that? Seems more fitting and a good role model. Why not try to encourage in girls the same skills the real Dora has if she has to age, I assume they'd still have a following.

Did you know they made Strawberry Shortcake "prettier" this year too? Apparently she has no more kitty she plays with, it's a cell phone. That's great.

And finally, the sunmaid. She's gone through more than just these changes, but these are the highlights, or low lights.

I'm not opposed to updating an image, like I don't like the 1923 one of the sumaid. I think updating is fine, but I don't like it when a company just tries to make things prettier, skinnier, meaner, rougher, whatever it may be that makes it just a bit less like wholesome goodness. Did you see the Mickey Mouse pic? Aggg!

Q: Do you mind these changes? Do they concern you?

Q: Do you ever try to stay away from companies that do this?
Q: Do you think it affects little kids and adults?

Clearing the Air

It's nice to clear the air on something that's been on your mind for a while. And it's even nicer when it goes well, at least in the end. Even better when you find out most of the problems were just miscommunication.

It's so healthy to get rid of emotional baggage! It's also possible that if you have some, someone else involved may have some too, which in this case helped clear up some confusion.

I think our renovation will be a purer experience than has been seeming. Not perfect since, frankly, it's still a renovation, but realizing purer intentions improves the situation.

***

On a somewhat unrelated note, Halloween was a very productive day! Josh finished sawing all the crazy little corner bits on some planks, put all of the rest in, I sanded and painted, and painted all the baseboards and trim with Hazel. She was so cute helping, I loved it! Now we just have to put the quarter rounds in that room!

...and decide on wall colors and paint them...

Battle of the Rugs

I have a problem falling in love with certain design or decorating elements and not being able to move on. A couple of weeks ago during a tile decision that's taken me plenty of long, frustrating and boring trips for the kids to tile shops, I finally found "the one." The tile that would satisfy my long list of must haves: classy, contemporary, hides crumbs and other random bits well, and comfy on the feet.

It wasn't exactly fitting my "budget" preference or Josh's style, so we've put that on hold until countertops are in to decide with the overall look. Josh sweetly, but self-servingly, said, "I know you love it. But the great thing about you is that you love a lot of things, so I know that there is another tile out there that you'll love." Which I'm sure is true, but I'm sick of going to tile stores to try to make it all work well together.

Today it's rugs. Since I'd like to pick a rug to help determine the colors I use to paint with, I'd like to pick one asap. I've been doing lots of looking here as well and have come up with two. We're going for a retro-modern look to try to tap into our 1951 modern ranch home (it looks far from it now, I know), so here is my top pick:


Here is option #2. I don't like it nearly as well, but that's probably just because I've already given my heart to #1 whereas if I'd seen this one first maybe I'd be in love with it too. But it's price makes me start to reconsider my affections--it's a complete 51% cheaper than the first, which is a lot for a 9x11 rug.
Q: What's your fav, #1 or #2?
Q: Do you have this problem of falling for and not being able to move on bit? Great in marriage, bad in shopping, esp if $$.

Foot Fun

I know a lot of people out there are creeped out by feet, so this is for you:). I had nail polish on my toes during and after the marathon so I figured the insane pain in my toes after the race was just temporary and forgot about it when it went away after a week. I thought it was strange that it hurt to put on even socks because it pulled on my big toe.

Then one night I saw a dark green mark on my nail and thought it was marker and Josh said it was probably a bruise. I ran to take off my polish because that sounded kind of cool and sure enough, it was! Unfortunately by morning the color had changed. I'm fascinated by the toe problems I've had through running, sorry.

Like my toe-stash?

Then a few nights later I stubbed my toe on something (just recently discovered it a nail sticking out of our temp spot of our entertainment center because the kids have climbed on it so much it's falling apart:). My pinky toe throbbed that night and freaked me out because it was small, but deep and I couldn't tell if it had cut through my nail or not, thankfully, a couple weeks later, I can finally tell that it did not.

Aren't you happy to know my foot news?